In my last 20 cruises at least half of them have been "last minute". That means they were 90 days or less before the cruise.

I check the major travel sites and the cruise lines to see what cruises there are that interest me. I usually cruise outside of the Caribbean but my last two cruises have been to the Caribbean and I booked less than a month before sailing.

The gage that I use is that if I can get a balcony for less than $100/day it is a good deal. If I can get a mini-suite for $140/day or less than it's a good deal. A suite is around $150/day for me to consider booking it.

When I see something of interest I call my T/A and see what price she can get for me. It is almost always less than any of the advertised prices.

You can also have your T/A do the searching for you. Give them the parameters you are looking for and ask them for three or four options and choose from that.

I search by destination and then by ship and cruise line. I am not overly picky about where I end up. I book balcony cabins, mini-suites and suites so there isn't "too" much of a chance of getting a bad cabin. However, I booked an AC suite on the Norwegian Jade and while it was a great cabin with wonderful amenities the forward facing location wasn't the greatest.

Enjoy a last minute cruise. There are some great benefits to getting a last minute booking. Often lower prices and that short countdown clock is always nice.

Take care,
Mike

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"There is a great difference between being well traveled and just having been to many places." ~Me